The invention generally relates to closure-removing tools for receptacles and, more particularly, to ajar lid loosening device.
Briefly, the jar lid loosening device in accordance with the invention includes a pair of jaws which are arranged to compress upon a lidded jar inserted therebetween. Of the pair of jaws, one jaw is a passive jaw and the other is the active jaw. The passive jaw is fixed substantially stationary and hence it neither twists nor travels in compression or retraction. The active jaw, in contradistinction, is given compound motion. More particularly, the active jaw is mounted in a traveling head. The traveling head is arranged to cycle through compression and retraction strokes. The active jaw is carried in the traveling head such that, generally, the active jaw rides passively along with the traveling head through the compression and retraction strokes. If however, a lidded jar is inserted between the jaws, then during a compression stroke the active jaw eventually limits out against the lidded jar. From then on, the lidded jar is subjected to increasing compression between the jaws by virtue of the traveling head. More significantly, the active jaw is coupled to the traveling head such that upon contact with the lidded jar--and increasing compression from the traveling head--the active jaw is driven into a twisting stroke. The relative twisting between the active and passive jaws causes the lid to loosen on the jar. The device-loosened lid may then be handily removed after that.
More particularly, these and other objects are provided according to the invention in a jar lid loosening device that comprises aspects of the following. It has a relatively stationary base, a traveling head, and an upright carrier post anchored to the base and provided for carrying the traveling head for cycles of DOWN (compression) and UP (retraction) strokes relative to the base.
A source of power is provided to power the traveling head through at least the DOWN or compression stroke. In one embodiment of the invention, the source of power is an electric motor. That way, the upright carrier post is an upright threaded drive rod which electric motor turns. The traveling head includes a threaded socket for engaging the threaded drive rod. Optionally the motor is reversible. In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the source of power is a hand jack. According to this way, the upright carrier post is an upright toothed-stanchion for operative engagement by the hand jack. The traveling head for this embodiment includes a socket for passage of the stanchion.
The jar lid loosening device further includes a pair of jaws which are arranged in opposition to each other to close or compress upon a lidded jar inserted therebetween. One of said jaws is a passive jaw that is fixed substantially stationary relative to the base and hence neither twists nor travels axially relative to the base. The other jaw can be reckoned as an active jaw that is spaced above the passive jaw as mounted in the traveling head.
A converter mechanism is incorporated in the traveling head to link the active jaw therewith and harness the traveling head's DOWN stroke as a drive input for conversion into a twisting motion in the active jaw.
That way, generally, the active jaw rides along inactively or at rest with the traveling head as the traveling head powers through a given DOWN or compression stroke. Except that, if a lidded jar is inserted between the closing jaws, then as the active jaw eventually limits out against the lidded jar during the given compression stroke, from that stage on, the lidded jar is subjected to increasing compression between the jaws by virtue of the powered DOWN stroke of the traveling head concurrently while the converter mechanism converts the DOWN-stroke drive input from the traveling head into a twisting motion in the active jaw.
Consequently, the lidded jar is subjected to such relative twisting under increasing compression between the twisting active jaw and the stationary passive jaw that the jar and lid progressively loosen apart until the device-loosened lid may be handily removed after that. Optionally, the converter mechanism comprises, in combination, .circle-solid. configuring the traveling head non-rotatably with one of abutments or complementary inclined ramp-ways, .circle-solid. configuring the active jaw with the other of said abutments or complementary inclined ramp-ways, and .circle-solid. arranging the abutments to engage the inclined ramp-ways such that, at the stage of the given DOWN stroke when the active jaw limits out against the lidded jar, further downward travel of the traveling head applies the previously-mentioned rotational force to the active jaw.
The abutments can take the form of any sort of prong. Prongs includes pins and the like. The inclined ramp-ways are optionally formed in a cylindrical sleeve such that the inclined ramp-ways trace helical arc segments.
The converter mechanism optionally further includes an open coil compression spring loaded between the active jaw and traveling head to oppose both axial and torsional changes in relative position therebetween.
It is preferred if the active jaw is recessed from below in the shape of a spherical cap for improving universal mating with a cylindrical rim of various sizes for variously-sized lidded jars. It is further preferred if one or both of the jaws incorporate a resilient outer layer to improve frictional gripping on lidded jars.
Additional aspects and objects of the invention will be apparent in connection with the discussion further below of preferred embodiments and examples.